She looked so vulnerable sitting in the coffee shop drinking her hot chocolate. It had been a while since they'd seen each other and their relationship had been somewhat restrained. Sarah paid for her Grande Skinny Latte and carried it over to the table. Her daughter looked up at her almost sheepishly.

The cliche’ that is so commonly used, “I knew at a young age I was different,'' could be used in this situation but that would be a lie. As a child you hear all sorts of stories of what you did or did not do and some of them seem a bit far fetched from where you are standing but nonetheless, those who were around you claim it to be true. I heard many of these and looking back now I can say that I can definitely see myself doing these things. I remember my parents sharing a story about me packing up my Radio Flyer wagon with all that was important to me and dragging it out the front door of our home in Massachusetts.

Dear Current and Future Generations:

When Friends and Family Say, “You’d Make Such a Great Dad,” You Begin to Believe It

My name is Teresa and my husband's name is Paul. Today is May 30, 2017.

Hello!!

Ah! It’s that time of year for us students to be home for the end of year festivities. I know some people who were truly excited for their fun family traditions and various celebrations that occur. I on the other hand couldn’t quite verbalise how I felt about going back home.. well I could but there definitely wasn’t anything positive that would come of it.

Sometimes it seems like you can’t escape this phoney image of the “perfect family.” All smiles, laughter and togetherness like something straight from a greetings card. And being constantly bombarded by images and messages like these can leave you feeling confused and frustrated. Mainly because your family isn’t like that, but it’s okay because nobody’s family is.But knowing that you’re not alone doesn’t make it any easier. You still wonder why your family doesn’t really seem “normal” like everyone else’s. You wonder why people see family gatherings as something to look forward to, rather than something to fear or dread. You wonder what it’s like to turn to your family for advice and not be afraid to be ridiculed or judged. 

Yesterday, for the first time ever, I did not post any ‘Merry Christmas’ message on my social media and it was deliberate. I did reply to messages and called loved ones on this day.

There’s not long to go until the big day, but if you have a young family, it can be difficult to keep the kids entertained in that short gap between the end of school and Christmas day. And what’s more, with all the food and presents you should have bought and wrapped by now, it’s likely you won’t want to spend too much money keeping the little ones entertained between now and the big day. So what can you do to keep them entertained over the next few days, without having to spend any money?

I think it’s pretty common for mothers and daughters to have strained relationships.